Main nav

Superhero quilt with fuzzy backing

February 7, 2017

My eldest son Ethan turned FIVE last week. I wanted to share his superhero quilt that I made, as well as the tutorial I used. It was time he got a big boy quilt because he’s outgrown all his baby ones. He’d been asking for a superhero quilt with Wonder Woman since last Summer, and I promised him one as soon as I finished writing my 2nd book. It was worth the wait! 🙂

Soo…I’m gonna vent a little here. My son has a blue, store-bought blanky that is his absolute favorite since he was a baby. Sigh. I don’t blame him….it’s super soft and plush. None of the many quilts I’ve made him could compare to his “blue” (that’s what he still calls it today). *jealous quilter over here*

I knew without question I had to make his new superhero quilt super soft…softer than “blue.” Otherwise it would just get tossed aside, forgotten in his quilt pile. Do I sound bitter I’m not bitter. 😐

So I bought the most snuggly fabric I could find for the backing. This is rose marble cuddle fabric by Shannon Fabrics. I found it at my local fabric shop, Pacific Fabrics. It’s great because it’s 60″ wide, so I didn’t even need to assemble the backing.

And here’s my quilting secret: My friend Monica Skov has long arm services, and YES! she quilts fuzzy backing!!!! Monica is located in Seattle, but you can ship quilts to her as well. Details at her website over at It’s Just Sewing. I’ve had 4 or 5 quilts finished by her already, and totally recommend her long arm services! She has a quick turnaround time too!

So here’s how the whole quilt looks 🙂

I used my Rainy Days quilt tutorial, which can be found HERE. I chose this pattern because it showcases all the details of the superhero fabric so well. And it also comes together very quickly!

For the name block, I replaced two 10″ blocks with one 19.5″x10″ rectangle. For his name, I chose a font I liked in Word and typed out his name, enlarged it, and then printed it. Then I used Steam-a-Seam fusible webbing (by Warm Company) with navy blue fabric, and traced his name onto it and cut it out. It’s very easy…just follow the directions on the back of the Steam-a-Seam package. Lastly, I simply ironed his name onto the rectangle. I did a top stitch around the edges of the name, though it probably wasn’t necessary as Steam-a-Seam sticks forever.

This green fabric is very special because if you look closely, it has Ethan’s drawings of our family on it.

He designed this fabric and then I had it printed on textile via Spoonflower. He was so proud to see his own designs on fabric, and it was a fun project we did together.

I realized I forgot Spidey (one of Ethan’s fave!) so I added him on last minute. This quilt was seriously So. Much. Fun to make! I really enjoyed choosing all the fabrics for it too as they’re all things that my son loves. Even the background fabrics are little ghosts because he loves Halloween. 🙂

I bought all fabrics for the quilt top from Jean Marie’s Fabrics etsy shop. She shipped everything very quickly!

I don’t usually do quilt labels, but I did for this one. I just used a 5″ square and wrote on it using a Sharpie permanent marker. Then did a blind stitch to attach.

I also made him a matching superhero pillow case using my friend Monica’s Perfect Pillowcase video tutorial. It was very easy and quick.

I couldn’t help but go down memory lane and was looking through all his old baby photos. Forever my baby boy he will be. <3

Not to say I have baby fever, because I still have his 18 month tasmanian devil of a brother, lol. He loves the superhero quilt too!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this post! Hope you’re all staying warm this winter!

Jera, my favorite post to date! I love all the details in this quilt/pillow combo, and I bet over time it will (almost) replace blue. It’s clear how much Ethan loves it, and who wouldn’t? Beautiful story, perfect quilt, and darling little boys 🙂

Aww thank you for your kind words! It’s always encouraging hearing from my readers. 🙂 As far as blue, perhaps I need to let it get “lost in the washer” or left it at his grandparents house for a while and see if he forgets, 😉

A little “hello” to you from the middle of Norway! I just love your quilts and the pictures of your lovely boys! I started following your blog just after you had your first son, and I am thrilled to see him together with the cutest little brother – among all those beautiful quilts! I have two sons myself, and they are now 22 and 24 years old…and the oldest one is going to be a father within few days – my first grandchild – a boy whose name is going to be Filip <3 I would love to make him a blanket, and I´ve got a lot of inspiration from your pictures. But – where can I buy your book?
Kindest regards from Liv Iren 🙂

Hi Liv,
Thank you for your wonderful comment and for following my blog for so long! 🙂 I feel honored.

I try to cherish these days with my boys as they grow too fast, as i’m sure you know from experience! So happy my blog has brought some inspiration. You can find my book on Amazon…not sure if you have easy access to that in Norway?

Hi. I was trying to reach your friends site itsjustsewing to see about having a quilt long armed but the link doesn’t work and I tried to google it and got the same thing. Is their a new web address? Thank you.

Hello!

My name is Jera Brandvig and I'm from the rainy city of Seattle. I am a quilter, author and fabric designer but first, I am a proud mother to two beautiful boys (& a furry little girl named Paige!). Click me to read more. Thank you for stopping by! ;)